Getting to Know Each Other Better
by DryadSpeaks
Summary: Written for the Quartie Ficathon.  The prompt was "Artie and Quinn stuck inside together due to weather conditions  snow/rain/etc "


**Written for this prompt from the Quinn/Artie Forum:**

_**Artie and Quinn stuck inside together due to weather conditions (snow/rain/etc)**_

"Artie, I really think you should stay here...it's snowing like crazy," Quinn said, looking out the window at her yard. Her footprints and his wheel prints had been completely covered, and they'd only been inside for twenty minutes. "I don't think it's safe for you to try and get home right now, and it definitely won't be in a couple of hours."

He nodded. "It would probably be ok, but...yeah, better to be safe. It's probably just going to get worse. And...I know you just want to get all up in this."

She grinned. "Yes, that's why I want you to stay here. It has nothing to do with the fact that I don't want anything to happen to you when you try to wheel yourself home when my car can't make it out of the driveway."

He nodded, smirking at her. "I thought as much."

She laughed. "Well, you are pretty hot..." she murmured, leaning over. "And my mom called to say she's going to stay at my grandma's tonight, rather than trying to drive home in this, so..."

Artie blushed. "We're going to have to behave...can't take advantage of this situation..."

She giggled. "You say that now. I give you...half an hour, tops, before you decide that 'taking advantage of the situation' is a good thing."

He grimaced. "You KNOW I hate those stupid air quotes!"

She laughed. "Why else would I use them?"

"Just let me call my peeps and tell them I'm staying here," Artie said, pulling out his phone, "and then we'll be good to go."

As he dialed, Quinn went to the kitchen to refill their mugs with hot chocolate.

**

* * *

**

"No, Mom, it's fine," he muttered into the phone. "Yeah, I have some. No, it's ok. No, I don't need you to come get me. It's snowing way too hard. Yes...it's good. I'm fine. I don't need that. I'm not five. Ok. I love you too. Bye."

Quinn overheard Artie talking to his mother as she went back into the living room. "Everything ok?" she asked, setting the mugs down on the coffee table.

"Yeah, it's fine," he said, putting his phone back in his pocket and smiling at her. "Just the usual concerned parent thing...you know how that goes."

She grinned. "Yeah. When my mom phoned to say she was going to stay at Grandma's, she asked about fifteen times if I was sure that it would be ok."

"She's just a little over-protective sometimes," he said, reaching for the mug. "I guess I can't really blame her, but still...it's a little annoying sometimes. I'm not five."

She grinned again. "She's your mom. That's her job."

He smiled. "Yeah, I know."

"So, what should we do?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said. "What do you feel like doing?"

She patting the couch cushion beside her. "Why don't you come sit beside me, and we'll watch a movie?"

"Sounds good," he said, moving closer to the couch.

She watched as he set the brake on his chair, and prepared to transfer himself to the couch.

"Do you need me to do anything, or..." Quinn trailed off, unsure of whether or not she should be helping him. He looked like he had the situation under control, but she thought she'd better ask anyway.

He grinned. "Nope, I'm good."

Once Artie was in position in the corner of the couch, she snuggled herself in beside him. "This is really nice," she said. "Is it bad that I'm kind of glad it's snowing like crazy, because that made it so you had to stay here?"

He laughed. "You think this now...I give you two hours before you're annoyed and want to get rid of me."

She laughed too. "Artie, I know we haven't been together that long, but I think it's been long enough that I know that's not true."

"Maybe we should use this snow day as an excuse to get to know each other better," he said, his face reddening slightly. "Wait. That didn't come out right. I didn't mean...I just meant...we should get to know each other better, but not, you know...I'm going to stop trying to fix this now."

She giggled. "You're so cute when you're flustered," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "And I would never have thought you meant anything other than that we should get to know more about each other...until you decided to try and fix it."

He blushed furiously. "Sorry. Sometimes when I think I've said the wrong thing, I just make it worse. And usually it turns out I didn't even say the wrong thing to begin with."

"Well, I think that's adorable," she said. "So...let's get to know each other. Anything you want to know?"

He grinned. "I don't know. I never know what to say in these sorts of situations."

She laughed. "Well, fine, then, I'll start. What's your favourite kind of ice cream?"

"Anything with chocolate and mint," he said. "Yours?"

"Rocky road. Now you ask something."

"Ok...um...cats or dogs?"

She grinned. "Cats AND dogs. What about you?"

"Dogs," he said, "but also kittens. Is it my turn to ask now?"

She nodded.

"Ok...um...if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

She thought for a moment. "London. You?"

He grinned. "Egypt. I wonder if the pyramids are wheelchair accessible..."

She laughed. "I have no idea. It's actually not something I've ever thought of."

"Yeah, most people don't," he said. "Wait, that sounded mean. I didn't mean it like that...just stating the facts."

"I know," she said. "And I know that's something most people don't think of."

He smiled softly at her. "Oh well, that's life. Not much I can do about it. Now...back to our questions. Lemon or lime?"

"Lime," she said, noticing that, while he was smiling, it didn't quite fill his face like it normally did. "Oranges or grapefruit?"

"Grapefruit." He glanced at his watch. "Oh...I'll be right back," he said, preparing to move himself off the couch. "Bathroom is down the hall?"

She nodded. "It's the second door on the left."

After he had left the room, she fluffed the couch pillows and went to make some more hot chocolate.

When she returned to the kitchen, Artie wasn't back yet. She wondered if she should make sure he was alright, but decided against it. She wasn't exactly sure what he had to do to use the bathroom, and she didn't think they were at a point in their relationship where she could ask a question like that.

After a few minutes, he returned.

"Are you ok?" she asked, as he moved back onto the couch.

"Yeah, fine," averting his eyes from her gaze. "Sorry, that just takes a while sometimes. It's...complicated."

She nodded. "Artie, look at me. You don't need to be embarrassed about anything, ever. You know that, right?"

He looked over, his eyes meeting hers. "I just...knowing specifics about some of the things that I have to do differently than other people makes people uncomfortable sometimes. So it's just easier not to talk about it at all."

"I'm not uncomfortable, and, more importantly, I don't want YOU to feel uncomfortable. You can talk about stuff with me," she said, taking his hand.

"I don't want to scare you away," he whispered, looking away from her again. "Some of this stuff is a little...clinical."

"There is nothing you could say that would scare me away," she said, placing her hand on his cheek. "You know...unless you're going to tell me you're a serial killer or something. And that's not really clinical...just creepy."

He grinned, and turned to face her. "You always know how to lighten the mood, don't you?"

She shrugged. "It's one of my mad skillz."

He burst out laughing. "Did you just say 'mad skillz?' I think I love you." As the last words left his lips, his face reddened further.

She grinned. "Yes, I did. And, just so you know...I think I love you too."

**

* * *

**

After about twenty minutes of cuddling on the couch, they were distracted by the phone.

Quinn went to answer, and, after assuring her mother that everything was under control, she returned.

"Are you alright?" she asked, noticing that Artie was rubbing his back.

"Yeah...fine," he said. "I just need to move around a little."

She nodded. "Is sitting on the couch...bad?" she asked, her face full of concern.

"Not so much bad," he said. "It just puts pressure on different places that shouldn't necessarily have pressure on them like that. If I move around a bit that helps. My back has also been kind of sore for the last few days, but it's ok."

"Do you think you should lie down? Or take something?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, Quinn. Really...it's ok." He smiled reassuring her that everything was alright.

"You wouldn't tell me even if it wasn't, would you?" she said, sitting back down.

"I...might," he said. "Ok...I probably wouldn't. I wouldn't want you to worry about stuff. But I promise...this time, it's ok."

She grinned. "Ok, good. Wait...this time?"

He laughed. "Quinn! I'm not going to fall apart here! It's all good!"

She giggled. "Good. I don't want to have to clean up the mess if you fall apart."

"Gee, thanks," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Anytime," she said. "Now...what should we watch next?"

**

* * *

**

"You can sleep in the guest room," she said, after they had turned off the tv and decided that they should go to bed. "The bed is really comfortable, and there's lots of space in there."

He nodded, as she led the way down the hall.

Once they were inside the room, he looked at the bed, and fingered the sheets lightly.

"Quinn...I don't think this is going to work," he said quietly. "The bed is kind of high, and the sheets are kind of slippery, and this just...has the potential to end badly. Or I'm going to need some help."

She thought for a moment. "Ok. Well, I can help you, if you want...?" she said, noticing that he looked kind of embarrassed. "Or...you sleep in my bed. It's way lower. I'll sleep in here."

He shook his head. "I can't take your bed, Quinn. And I don't want you to hurt yourself helping me. I'll just sleep on the couch."

It was her turn to shake her head. "You are not sleeping on the couch. It's the most uncomfortable place to sleep ever, and it'll probably put weird pressure on all sorts of parts of your body that shouldn't have that, because there are springs sticking out all over everywhere under the cushions. Sleep in my bed, and I'll sleep here."

"Quinn, I can't take your bed," he repeated. "It's fine. The couch is fine. I'm not going to die from sleeping on the couch for one night."

"Well then, sleep in my bed, and I'll just sleep with you, if you insist on me sleeping in there!" she said, a glint in her eyes. "How does that sound?"

His face flushed a deep, bright red. "I don't...I mean...we shouldn't...ok..." he finished, trailing off. "You're the boss."

She grinned. "I honestly thought you'd protest that more."

"Well, if you don't want that, then...I'll just sleep on the couch."

"Artie...I was kidding. I'd be happy to share my bed with you."

He smiled. "We shouldn't do this. Your mom trusted us to be here alone. My mom...doesn't know that we're here alone, but what she doesn't know won't kill her, and..." he trailed off again.

She grinned. "It's not like we're going to do anything inappropriate."

"I...I...I know. Obviously. I never thought that," his eyes widened.

She burst out laughing. "I know that, I was just clarifying! Now get in there, get ready for bed, and I'll be there in a second!"

He nodded, unable to think of anything else to say. "Yes...boss," he said, grinning.

**

* * *

**

As they were about to drift off to sleep, he turned to her.

"Quinn...are you still awake?" he whispered.

She grinned. "No, I'm looking at you in my sleep. Do you need something?"

He shook his head. "I just wanted to say...thanks. For...being you. And, you know...for not treating me like I'm some sort of freak..."

She moved over, so that her head was resting on his chest. "I could never think that, Artie. Because I'd never think that in the first place, and I'm too busy thinking about how great you are."

He grinned, wrapping his arm around her. "Well, I think you're pretty great too. I'm glad we got snowed in."

She giggled. "I'm glad we got snowed in, too. Goodnight, Artie."

"Night, Quinn."

**A/N: QUARTIE FICATHON NOW IN PROGRESS! All the fics that have been posted so far are AMAZING, and anyone reading this should go read them all!**

**Or...better yet...join us and write some! Details can be found in the Quinn/Artie Forum, or you can PM me!**


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